


Lopsided Stars

by kathillards



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Megaforce
Genre: Christmas Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-08 19:52:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5510855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kathillards/pseuds/kathillards
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It's nice to have you all back, though. It was getting kind of lonely around here." —- TroyNoah</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lopsided Stars

**Author's Note:**

> dedicated to tabitha (@chipwiches on tumblr) because she loves megaforce just as much as i do and everyone deserves these sweet boys and christmas fluff in their lives <3

Noah frowns up at the top of the Christmas tree, surveying the golden star ornament. It looks lopsided to the left if he squints at it the right way, and if he's casual about it, maybe Emma won't notice him reaching up to adjust it--

"Dude," Troy's voice startles him, warm and amused from behind him. His hand catches Noah's around the wrist, lowering it gently back down to his side. "Stop worrying so much about the star, it looks fine."

Noah turns his frown on him, adjusting his glasses. "But if it's lopsided, it could fall--" 

"Then we'll put it back," Troy says with a laugh, letting go of Noah's wrist. "Relax, it's our first Christmas break home from college. Why are you so stressed? What are they doing to you over in the Ivy League?" 

"I go to MIT," Noah protests, but Troy waves a hand and begins walking back into the kitchen where Jake is arguing with Emma over the proper proportion sizes for Christmas cake pops. 

"East Coast," Troy amends, stealing a cookie from Emma's still-cooling tray and breaking it in half, offering him the larger piece. "I thought your semester was over."

"It is, but..." Noah sighs, words trailing off as he lets Troy weave them through Jake and Emma's arguments and out onto the patio of Gia's house, where she's hanging up mistletoe over the doorways. She waves at the two of them and then bounds inside to hang up more mistletoe. "Sorry, I know I'm just being a buzzkill."

"You're not, you're being Noah," Troy assures him, biting into the cookie. Noah looks at it warily but Troy smiles in delight, so he takes a bite, as well. It's sugar and cinnamon and pink frosting, as only Emma can make. "We wouldn't want you here if you weren't Noah, anyway."

This surprises a laugh out of him as Troy nudges him gently. "Thanks. I guess it's just hard, being so far away from you guys for so long. It was a lot easier to relax around you guys in high school than all these geniuses at MIT."

"Hey, you're a genius, too," Troy says, finishing off his half of the cookie in two bites. "I bet you're doing great over there. Not that we don't miss you here."

Noah grins, something warm and fluttery dancing around inside him. Troy's smile is kind, the one he's so used to from high school, saving the world, being a superhero-- no matter how long it's been, Troy is still a leader. Noah wishes his smiles didn't mean as much to him, especially when Troy looks away, out at the horizon of Harwood County, turning pink and orange in the sunset.

"How's it been here?" Noah asks carefully around a small bite of his cookie. Troy leans over the patio railing, the vision bringing Noah back with a start to the days of their sky ship and Troy in the crow's nest, watching the world go by.

"Good, good," Troy says absently, curling his fingers around the edge. "It's nice to have you all back, though. It was getting kind of lonely around here."

Noah bumps his shoulder with a half-apologetic smile. "You know we're only a phone call away."

Troy tilts his head to look at him, his gaze suddenly intense. "I know," he says slowly, returning a shadow of the smile. "It's just not the same."

There's a pause where Noah can hear the winds and the birds in the forest that borders Gia's home, and then Troy breaks it with a quiet laugh.

"Look at me, being the buzzkill now," he says, shaking his head. "Come on, why don't we go add some more ornaments to the tree, if we've got time to waste. Gia had that whole huge box."

Noah feels the moment shatter, but he lets it go, ignoring the way his insides curl up when Troy looks away from him and heads back inside to the noise and commotion of their team. Orion's arrived, greeting everyone with hugs and bringing a huge bag of messily wrapped silver gifts with him, and he makes a beeline for Noah when he sees him.

"Noah, how have you been?" he asks cheerfully, and in the hustle and bustle of the whole team laughing and being together for the first time in a year, Noah loses track of Troy entirely.

-:-

Later, after dinner and Emma's tradition of unwrapping only one present each on Christmas Eve, Noah ends up in front of the Christmas tree again, with the rest of the team out having a snowball fight in Gia's backyard behind him.

"Noah," Troy's voice washes over him, making him jump. "Aren't you gonna join us?"

He turns to see Troy at the doorway to the living room, leaning against it with a smile. His hair is covered in a beanie dotted with snowflakes, but he doesn't look cold at all as he stands there, staring at Noah.

"In a minute," Noah assures him, adjusting his glasses before turning back to the tree. "I know you said not to worry about it, but..."

"The star?" Troy guesses with a grin, pushing himself off the doorway to join Noah at the foot of the Christmas tree. "Still lopsided?"

"Actually, I think Jake knocked it slightly over while we were unwrapping our presents," Noah says, sighing exasperatedly, although his smile is fond. "I just don't wanna mess up all the other ornaments we put in there by moving it too much."

"Let me," Troy suggests, reaching over, his arm brushing Noah's as he lifts his own to touch the star. Troy's fingers get there first, careful and gentle as he fixes it without rustling any of the other ornaments. "There, it'll be a perfect picture for Emma now."

Noah grins at him, his heartbeat stuttering when he notices how close Troy's face is to his. "Thanks."

"What are friends for?" Troy says, laughing a little, but his eyes are bright and Noah doesn't think he's imagining the way the air feels charged around them. He swallows, watching Troy run his tongue over his lips, words abandoning him.

Troy breaks the silence, though not their gaze. "When are you heading back to Massachusetts?"

"Next weekend," Noah answers, his stomach tangling up with nerves and desires. "You?"

Troy shrugs, withdrawing his hand, breaking the contact between them. Noah tries not to wince at the sudden lack of warmth. "School starts on Monday, but you know. I'm here."

"Hey," Noah begins, but he pauses, unsure of what he's trying to say. All he knows is his heart is jumping against his ribcage, and Troy's gaze is focused on his lips, and then -- and then --

Troy closes the distance first, though Noah had leaned forward, and his kiss tastes sweet and sugary, like the cinnamon cookies they'd had after dinner. Noah's hands come up of their own accord, cradling Troy's face, pressing their lips closer together.

He pulls back for air, a smile tilting his lips. "Merry Christmas?" he offers, and Troy laughs suddenly, the sound and vibrant, and then tugs him back in for another kiss. Noah manages to think hazily that maybe Massachusetts can wait a little longer.


End file.
